Signature collating system and method

ABSTRACT

A signature delivery and collating system which includes an inserter mechanism for inserting preprinted cards or sheets into pockets of a collator into which signatures are also fed from a continuous stream of overlapped signatures.

SIGNATURE COLLATING SYSTEM AND METHOD This invention relates to a systemfor collating signatures vforvbinding in a book or magazine or the like.

One known -t`ype of system for producing printed signatures utilizes aweb fed press operating on a belt press principle together with acutting, folding'and collating apparatus which is synchronized with thepress. This system is capable of producing, in a continuous operation,completely assembled books, minus their covers, ready for the bindingoperation. One such type of system is presently being marketed by theCameron Machine Company, Dover, NJ.

One drawback to that known type of system has been the inability of thepress to produce multiple color signatures. Moreover, being a continuousinline system, it has not been possible to introduce into the productionprocess either insert cards or preprinted signatures that a publishermight wish to have included in a book,'ei ther in a random fashion or atknown page numbers.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide in a continuousinline system in which signatures are de- 'livered for collating in acontinuousshingled stream,

apparatus for feeding cards or preprinted signatures and combining themwith signatures from the shingled stream. l I

More particularly, this invention is applicable to a system in which aconveyor transports a continuous stream of overlapped signatures from aprinting press to a continuously movablecollator having a series ofpockets with the pockets being movable past the conveyor for receivingsignatures therein and a cam separator for separating a predeterminednumber of signatures from the overlapped stream and displacing them intoeach pocket moving past the delivery conveyor. According to theprinciples of this invention, here is provided an insert or feedmechanism for selectively feeding inserts into pockets of the collatorinto which signatures from the overlapped stream are also fed.Thereaftenthe combined signatures and inserts from a predeterminednumber 'of pockets are combined to form the completed book.

Referring now to the drawings in which but one form of the preferredembodiment is illustrated, the single Figure of the'drawing is aschematic illustration, in side elevation, of the delivery conveyor,collator and insert mechanism.

There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,502,321 and 3,558,125 apparatusof the general type with which this invention is concerned. As disclosedin those patents, a sheet delivery and collating mechanism is adapted toreceive the signatures from a web-fed press which prints, folds and cutsthe signatures in a continuous process. The signatures are fed from thepress to a delivery conveyor which delivers the signatures in anoverlapped or shingled condition to a collating mechanism. Thiscollating mechanism comprises a continuously movable collator having aseries of pockets which open toward the delivery conveyor and aremovable past the conveyor for receiving signatures therein. A sheetseparating and shifting memberv in the'form of a cam separator isoperable to separate the shingled signatures so that each pocket of thecollator receives the correct number of signatures. The collator thendelivers the signatures to delivery belts which transfer the collatedsignatures to a delivery station.

Referring now to the Figure of the drawing, essentially the samecombination of elements as those disclosed in the above-referencedpriorpatents is illustrated. Thus, there is provided a delivery conveyorl which delivers signatures from the press (not shownlin an overlappedor shingled relationship to a collator, indicated at 14. Since the pressprints the'signatures in a repeat pattern, a certain length of thestream delivered by the conveyor l0 contains the signatures for eachbook. A sheet separating and shifting member in the form of a camseparator 16 is adapted to separate the signatures in the shingledstream and deliver the correct number of signatures to each pocket ofthe collator. The collator then delivers the separated signatures to adelivery belt 18 which delivers the signatures to a delivery station forsubsequent binding.

As disclosed inthe aforementioned patents, the collator 14 is providedwith a series of pockets defined by spaced forks supported on an endlessbelt 20. However, in accordance with this invention, the belt 20supports primary forks-22 with secondary or intermediate forks 24positioned between the primary forks. Each of the forks 22, 24 is spacedfrom the Anext adjacent fork to define pockets 2,6 which open toward thedelivery end of theconveyor 10 tor receive signatures therein.

In association with the collator 14 therelis provided an insert or feedmechanism schematically illustrated at 28. The insert mechanism maycomprise a series of feeder belts which are adapted to feed, forexample, in-

28 will all be driven in synchronism by a suitable motor The camseparator 16 is adapted to function in the manner of the cam separatordescribed in the aforementioned patents. However, unlike the camseparator in those patents in which only a single cam lobe is disclosed,the instant cam separator 16 is provided with a plurality of cam lobes16 a-d. Each cam lobe acts to depress the leading end of a group ofsignatures to guide them into the pocket 26 under a descending fork uponwhich the next following packet of signatures is to be deposited. Byreasons of the design and position of the cam separator 16, eachcam lobeis operative to separate a'preselected number of signatures or sheetsfrom the shingled stream and direct them into one pocket. For example,cam lobe 16a is operative to feed a preselected number of signaturesinto the pocket then adjacent the delivery end of the conveyor l0. Asthat pocket descends and the next fork moves into sheet receivingposition, the cam separator will have rotated to a position where lobel6b becomes operative to deliver the same preselected number ofsignatures or sheets to the next pocket. Thereafter, as the pocketscontinue to move downward, the cam lobe 16C and then cam lobe 16d becomeoperative in the same manner, it being understood that each cam lobeoperates on the shingled stream of signatures in the manner described inthe aforementioned patent.

The operation of the illustrated mechanism will now be described. Thefollowing description will assume that three cards are to be inserted atspaced locations in each book produced by the press, it beingunderstood, of course, that both the nature of the inserts, that iswhether they are cards or preprinted signatures, as well as the numberof the inserts may be varied.

The conveyor 10 delivers a shingled stream of sheets from the press.These sheets may be individual sheets or signatures or packets ofsignatures, but in either case will be referred to as signatures. As theforks of the collator descend, two separate operations occur. The firstis lthat the insert mechanism 28 is actuated to feed inserts Conto eachof the secondary forks 24 between the primary forks 22. Thereafter, as aprimary fork on which there'is no insert moves past the sheet receivingposition, one lobe of the cam separator 16 delivers the correctpreselected number of signatures onto the primary fork. As each nextsucceeding secondary fork moves into a sheet receiving position, thelobes 16 b-d of the cam separator deliver the same number of signaturesonto the top of the inserts resting on the secondary forks. Thecombination of the signatures on the primary fork and the inserts andsignatures on each of the next three secondary forks make up onecomplete book, so that upon one complete revolution of the cam separator16, the collator 14 will have moved downward by four forks. As cam lobe16a again rotates to an operative position, the next succeeding primaryfork 24 will have advanced to a sheet receiving position and the cyclewill be repeated. In the meanwhile, the insert mechanism 28 will beperiodically pulsed by a suitable mechanism 34, such as a timing cam ortiming disc, sor

that inserts are deposited on each of the secondary forks as theydescend by the insert mechanism.

As the forks carrying the signatures and inserts descend to the deliverybelt 18, chain pins or lugs 36 coact with the collator 14 to remove thecollated books. Each lug 36 removes the signatures from one primary forkand the signatures and inserts from the Y next three secondary forks sothat each lug delivers a complete book to the delivery station.

Variations both in the described mechanism and its mode of operation maybe made without departing from the principles of the invention. Forexample, although the insert mechanism 28 has been illustrated asdelivering simultaneously inserts to each of three secondary forks, itwill be appreciated that a single insert feeding mechanism could be usedwith the insert mechanism being pulsed each time a secondary fork passesby, rather than feeding three Simultaneously. Also, the insert mechanismcould be positioned beneath the conveyor so that the insert cards aredeposited on top of the sheets resting on the secondary forks.

It will also be appreciated that the configuration of the camseparatormay be varied. For example, instead of having'four lobes, thecam separator may have a single cam lobe much in the manner of the camseparator disclosed in the aforementioned patents. However` with such aconfiguratiom the cam separator would be rotated four times faster sothat the cam separator would make one complete revolution as thecollator 14 descends by a distance equal to the space between twoadjacent' forks.

Other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled inthe art so that although the invention has been described with referenceto a specific embodiment, neither the illustrated embodiment nor theterminology employed in describing it is intended to be limiting;rather, it is intended to be limited only'by the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. A method ofcollating at least one insert and signatures to produce assemblages ofsheet material such as magazines, books or the like, said methodcomprising the steps of,

feeding the signatures in a continuous shingled stream with thesignatures arranged in a repeat pat` tern such that only a portion ofthe signatures in the stream are to be used for each book,

separating the portion of the stream for each book into a plurality ofseparate groups of signatures by feeding groups of signatures intocontinuously movable pockets, associating inserts with at least some ofthe groups of signatures by feeding inserts into selected ones of saidcontinuously movable pockets, and

combining the separate groups of signatures and at least one insert bysimultaneously removing the signatures and at least one insert from aplurality of the movable pockets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of associating insertsfurther comprises feeding the inserts into said pockets before thesignatures are fed into said pockets.`

1. A method of collating at least one insert and signatures to produceassemblages of sheet material such as magazines, books or the like, saidmethod comprising the steps of, feeding the signatures in a continuousshingled stream with the signatures arranged in a repeat pattern suchthat only a portion of the signatures in the stream are to be used foreach book, separating the portion of the stream for each book into aplurality of separate groups of signatures by feeding groups ofsignatures into continuously movable pockets, associating inserts withat least some of the groups of signatures by feeding inserts intoselected ones of said continuously movable pockets, and combining theseparate groups of signatures and at least one insert by simultaneouslyremoving the signatures and at least one insert from a plUrality of themovable pockets.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step ofassociating inserts further comprises feeding the inserts into saidpockets before the signatures are fed into said pockets.